Henryville tornado mom paid price to save children, now an advocate for amputees

12:37 PM,
Mar. 1, 2013

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Written by

Peter Smith
Louisville Courier-Journal

Testing the latest adjustments on her prosthetic legs earlier this week, Stephanie Decker smoothly lifted herself from an armchair and walked to the parallel bars in her doctor's office.

Those simple acts represent countless hours of therapy, exercise and medical care since Decker, 38, became the face of the region's resiliency a year ago - after tornadoes raged across Southern Indiana and Kentucky, killing at least 35, injuring many and damaging or destroying thousands of buildings.

Decker - who lost one leg below the knee and the other above it as she protected her children from falling ...